Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1887-01-11
Tbe Wreck nj Virginia Beach.

During Sunday snd the whole Of. That
night the beach for n;5s was patrolled in
search of bodies of the drowned sailors from
the ship Elizabeth, and up 10 nooa yester-
day nineteen had been cast up. According
10 later statements made by the two surviv.
ors of the life,saving crew, there were
twenty-five men OF the ship. Seven Of tho
number were taken into the life-boat, while
fifteen were in the ship's boat. This will
make 90 the proper plumber for the crew OF
o vessel the size Of the Elizabeth, and does
away with the suppostion that some of the
crew had remained by the wreck when the
boats left her From the empty barrels
washed ashore, it is supposed they con-
prised part OF her deck load. Information
received yesterday evening states that two
of the bodies of the seamen OF tde Elizabeth
had been identified as those OF Gustave
Battaher and G. Ammermanu, and one
more body had been recovered, making q
total of twenty, fifteen of which were of the
crey of the ship. Tbs Wrecking steamer
Peed left Norfolk at midnight Sunday night.
and was Yesterday morning observed from
the beach to be engaged IN stripping the
wreck No communication has yet been es-
tablished between the shore and the ship;
but from the fact that the wreckers are
stripping her, it is considered evident that
there is no hope OF getting her of, and she
is thought to be full Of water. The sea is
making clear breach over the hull, but
the spars are still standing. Super
intendent Rayner, of the Sixth dis
ttict of The Life-saving Service, in
which the disaster occurred. has Ar
rived aud assumed the direction of affairs.
He is enlisting new men TO take the place
of those drowned, and is geo:ganizing Lit
tie Island station, the keeper OF which, Cap
tain Abel Belango, lost his life. The sur
viviug life.savers state that it was with des-
perate energy they made their way to the
side of the ship, where Eve OF the crew we're
taken on board. One OF the ships boats
was safely gotten over the side, and
ten of the crew, with the Captain, got into
it, and start was made for the shore. The
boats were making good progress shore
ward, when an enormous wave capsZed
both boats and plunged their occupants into
the icy water The force OF the waves
driven by the n0rtheesteriy 1iuGs, swiftly
bore the drowning men southwGsd, and
they were followed by The I0eG OF shore,
who picked up tho bodies IS they came
ashore some distance below. i cotton brok
er of Norfolk who was out Understanding
near the spot, saw the wreck and tba cap.
sizing OF the boats, and says they had gotten
out from under the lee CT the SHIP, ana we're
nearly. if not quite, brOadside TO she sea
when capsized From the marked reserl-
blance of one of tbs bodies recovered to that
identified as Captain Haberstadt, it is sup
posed to be q brother or q son. The renains
of the five life-saving men we're buried yes
terday, and people came from many mics
around to attend the services. The under
taker hes by direction of the German vice
consul at Norfolk prepared the remains Of
the German sailors for burial, an6 they viii
be kept two or three days to enable them
to DO identified by any of their friends.